Plastic simulated wrought iron article



0-11.15, 1957 s. KNAPP PLASTIC SIMULATED WROUGHT IRON ARTICLE Fi1ed Nov. 16, 1955 FIG.

FIG. 3'.

INVENTOR.

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PLASTIC SIMULATED WRQUGHT IRGN ARTICLE Shepherd Knapp, Wynnewood, Fa.

Application November 16, 1955, Serial No. 547,070

3 Claims. (Cl. 4110) This invention relates to plastic simulated wrought iron articles and, more particularly, to plastic sheets formed to simulate wrought iron hinge hardware and similar articles.

The good appearance and charm of wrought iron hardware is being increasingly employed by decorators for enhancing the appearance of interiors. Due to the relatively high cost of wrought iron hardware, its use is necessarily limited. In addition to providing wrought iron hardware with substantial areas of exposed surface, it is well known to add elements such as hinge straps, light switch plates, lock escutcheons and the like to already existing hardware installations in order to convert, for example, a plane hinge having only the pin joined portion of the hinge exposed, to a hinge having a large wrought iron strap exposed.

Even the addition of hinge straps and such elements when formed of iron and attached by wrought iron bolts or screws is relatively expensive.

It is an object of this invention to provide simulated wrought iron articles such as hinge straps, escutcheon plates and the like which are formed of plastic and which, by virtue of their coloring and formation, are indistinguishable when examined visually from a wrought iron element.

One of the difiiculties heretofore involved in the employment of plastic simulated wrought iron articles has been that the cost of the conventionally appearing fastening means by which the article is to be fastened to the surface on which it is mounted is substantially greater than the cost of the simulated wrought iron article.

It is, therefore, a further object of this invention to provide a simulated wrought iron article which is formed with raised portions simulating the conventional wrought iron attaching means generally employed for attaching the simulated wrought iron article to a surface. In conjunction with this, the invention provides for simple and inexpensive means by which the plastic article is actually attached to the surface on which it is mounted.

These and other objects of the invention relating particularly to the construction thereof will become evident from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a typical simulated plastic wrought iron article attached to a surface;

Figure 2 is a section through the article taken on the trace 22 shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an alternative form of plastic simulated wrought iron article; and

Figure 4 is still another form of plastic simulated wrought iron article.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a member 2 to which a member 4 is attached by means of a conventional hinge 6. The hinge is installed as shown in Figures 1 and 2 with both hinge blades lying on approximately parallel planes between abutting surfaces of the members 2 and 4 as is conventional practice. A sheet 2,809,456 Patented Oct. 15, 1957 of plastic 8 is positioned over the surface of the member 4 with the left-hand end of the portion of the sheet, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, abutting the hinge 6 and thus appearing to be a continuation of the hinge or appearing to be one blade or strap of the hinge 6. The outer surface of the plastic sheet 8 is preferably preformed with indentations as indicated at 10 simulating the hammer marks normally appearing on wrought iron surfaces. The plastic is, of course, selected to provide a black or grey-black surface having the appearance of a wrought iron article.

A plurality of raised portions 12 are provided on the outer surface of the plastic sheet and are preferably in the form of a square-headed wrought iron screw, bolt or similar type of article such as may be employed for attaching the simulated wrought iron article to a surface. In the particular embodiment shown in the figures, the raised portions are in the form of square-headed screws which are provided with diagonally extending slots 14. This is typical of the type of wrought iron attaching screw conventionally and traditionally employed. It will be evident, however, that while this particular formation of attaching means is shown various other formations may alternatively be employed.

A bore 16 is provided extending through the plastic sheet in the region of the crossing of the slots 14 in the simulated screw heads 12. The bores are adapted to receive wire brads such as are shown at 18 in Figure 2 which serve to attach the plastic sheet to a surface and which are of such a size as to be relatively unnoticeable unless the surface through which they are passed is examined minutely. While brads are shown in the drawing, it will be evident that small screws or spikes or belts or other similar attaching means may be substituted therefor. Similarly, while the bores 16 are shown in the drawing as extending completely through the plastic sheet, it will be evident that a bore extending for a substantial distance through the sheet may equally well be employed provided by the application of force upon a nail or other means the remainder of the bore may be formed upon application of the plastic sheet to a surface.

In some instances it may be desired to provide a short hinge strap rather than the long hinge strap shown in Figure 1. If the plastic sheet 8 is provided with a transversely extending recess 21 on its lower surface, the portion of the sheet extending to the right of the recess 21, as viewed in Figure 1, may be broken off and the short portion, indicated generally at 23 in Figure 1, may be mounted on the member 4. The material of the strap 8 being a plastic, it wiil be sufl iciently soft that any undesirable irregularity occurring as a result of the break along the line 21 may be removed by filing. While the line 21 is shown in a particular location and as a straight line in Figure 1, it will be evident that similar lines may be variously contoured and positioned.

In Figure 3 there is shown generally at 22 a pair of H-type hinges. In Figure 4 there is shown generally at 24 a pair of L-type hinges. The L-type hinge may be desirably provided with score lines 26 by means of which the leg 28 of the L-type hinge may be broken away from the body portion 3t} thereof. Thus, permitting a pair of parts to be sold and which could be employed as either a pair of L-type hinges or as a pair of H-type hinges.

It will be evident that latches, escutcheons and other types of hardware may be simulated in plastic form and may embody the arrangement of raised portions simulating the conventional wrought iron attaching means normally employed and providing means for the reception of a nail or other simple and inexpensive fastening means which is substituted for the bolt, screw or other hardware normally employed. It will be evident that 3 various plastic formations may be provided with various score lines to facilitate breaking away portions of the parts as provided in order that the user may form a onefmou'nt'ed partand may selectone of a plurality of tionally, the word plastic should be construed as in-' cludi'ngma'terials such as rubber, both synthetic and natural, and. other types of non-metallic materials which ar'e'capable of being made'fiuid and formed into wrought iron or. other metal simulating; forms.

7 Fromthe foregoing, it will be evident that the invention provide'sja highly decorative and extremely inexpensive article and, 'more specifically, avoids the cost of providing conventional attaching hardware while providing the appearance'of having employed the conventional attaching hardware.

. Itwill' be evident that various formations may be provided on the undersurface of the plastic sheet in order to accommodate raised portions of existing hardware which are desirably hidden by the plastic simulated wrought iron article. It is believed evident that modifications such as this and suchas in the general shape of the article and in the general shape of the simulated attaching means may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A simulated wrought iron hinge strap comprising a sheet of molded plastic material having a surface simulating a wrought iron surface and formed with raised por- 4 tions simulating attaching means of a type normally used for attaching the simulated wrought iron hinge strap to a surface, and holes in said raised portions for the reception of fastening means for attaching the sheet to a the sheet to provide a simulated hinge strap of alternative configuration.

3. A simulated wrought iron hinge strap comprising a sheet of molded plastic material having a surface simulating a wrought iron surface and formed with raised portions simulating screw type attaching means of a type normally used for attaching the simulated Wrought iron hinge strap to a surface, said simulated attaching means each being formed with a slot simulating a screw slot andformed with a hole extending through the base ofthe slot for the reception of fastening means for attach- V ing the sheet to a surface, and said sheet being provided with a score line on its under surface providing for break ing away a portion of the sheet to provide a simulated hinge strap of alternative configuration.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,213,506 Thoresen Sept. 3, 1940 2,306,844 Schultz Dec. 29, 1942 2,529,945 Hyman Nov. 14, 1950 

